12,102 new agricultural tractors were registered in the UK during 2018. That’s according to data from the UK-based AEA (Agricultural Engineers Association).
This figure was approximately 1% higher than the total for 2017. In fact, it was the largest annual figure in four years.
However, as expected, registrations of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) during the month of December were well below the level of the same month a year earlier (2017).
In December 2017, new tractor registrations were inflated by the inclusion of a large number of units being pre-registered in advance of the entry into force of new regulations.
Therefore, the December 2018 total of 849 tractors was 38% down (year-on-year), but otherwise was the highest figure for December since 1994.
Once the impact of the December 2017 registrations is adjusted for, this suggests that the (new tractor) market actually grew by between 5% and 10% during 2018. That’s according to analysis undertaken by the AEA.
World market
In related news, over 2.1 million new tractors are believed to have been sold across the world in 2017. That’s according to a recent report in Profi – the well-known farm machinery publication.
The report indicated that 2017’s estimated figure was 13% higher than that for 2016 (1.9 million units).
The data ultimately came from Agrievolution Alliance; it compiles data on tractor and equipment sales around the world – charting trends from one year to the next.
It shows that China and India, together, accounted for more than one million units (490,000 in China and 600,000 in India in 2017).
Meanwhile, the US market stood at 220,000 units that year (an increase of 4% over 2016 levels).
Here in Europe, 190,000 new tractors were sold in 2017; that was up 13%. In the European agricultural tractor market, Germany and France are typically the two biggest buyers.
